George Brandis turns arts into 'political football' with $104.7m Australia Council cuts

Debbie Cuthbertson and Joel Meares

Just last week federal Arts Minister George Brandis and members of the Australia Council were on top of the world, together proudly celebrating the opening of the new Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

This week their working relationship is being sorely tested with the announcement in Tuesday night's federal budget of more than $105 million in cuts to the nation's peak cultural funding and advisory body.

Australia Council chair Rupert Myer and federal Arts Minister George Brandis view the new Australian Pavilion in Venice with Simon Mordant and Cate Blanchett. Photo: AFP

Changes to arts funding revealed in the budget include diverting $104.7 million from the Australia Council to a new National Programme for Excellence in the Arts, to be administered by the Arts Ministry.

The cuts would in effect halve the Australia Council's discretionary funding, according to Shadow Arts Minister Mark Dreyfus, who branded them "distressing" and said they had come without warning.

In a statement, the Australia Council said it would give "careful consideration" to its priorities as a result of the measures announced in the budget, and their implications for the council, as well as the artists and arts organisations it funds.

"The announcement of the 2015-16 Budget last night included measures which will significantly impact the work of the Australia Council on behalf of the arts sector," Australia Council chair Rupert Myer said on Wednesday.

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"The board of the Australia Council will be giving careful consideration to the council's priorities for the next year and beyond, and the implications for delivery of the Australia Council Strategic Plan ...

Arts Minister Senator George Brandis listens (centre, background) listens while Australia Council chief executive speaks at the opening of the new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last week. Photo: Angus Mordant

"But saying it will have a [significant impact] ... that's code for major disruption.

"[Mr Myer] can outline at a practical level what it might mean but isn't in a position to say what a dreadful thing the government has done here. I can.

Arts Minister Senator George Brandis addresses supporters of the new Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale at the pavilion's opening last week. Photo: Angus Mordant

"What we can see here is a grab here for the Australia Council budget to be administered on a personal whim, without any explanation, or any peer review."

In a media release Senator Brandis, said: "Arts funding has until now been limited almost exclusively to projects favoured by the Australia Council."

Funding of $104.7 million over four years will be taken from the Australia Council (which will have $185 million to distribute to artists and arts organisations). Where the Australia Council makes its funding decisions at arm's length from the government of the day, the new body will be administered by the ministry to "deliver a number of government priorities including providing national access to quality arts and cultural experiences".

The Australia Council will also swallow $7.2 million in efficiency savings over four years to 2018-19. These combined cuts represent an annual funding reduction of about 13 per cent for the nation's principal arts and funding body, which has an annual budget of $230 million. Funding for Screen Australia, which supports new Australian films, will be cut by $3.6 million over the same period.

Fairfax Media requested comment from Mr Brandis but his office said he was unavailable on Wednesday. It did however provide further details about the new funding body, saying: "The purpose of the National Programme for Excellence in the Arts is to expand funding to artists and arts organisations who presently are unable to secure funding through the Australia Council.

"As a result of this programme, more Australian arts practitioners and organisations will be able to pursue their creative endeavours."

The body would support projects across three priority areas: funding for endowments to support arts organisations by providing government investment to leverage private sector support; funding for international touring to support projects that build Australia's international reputation as a cultural and artistic force; and funding for strategic projects to support a wide range of arts activities, tours and performances providing access to "high quality arts and culture" for metropolitan and regional audiences.

'Devastating move'

The arts sector has reacted largely with dismay to the budget measures, described by some as a "devastating move" for the small to medium arts sector.

Australian Theatre for Young People artistic director Fraser Corfield said he feared the changes would advantage bigger arts organisations and companies at the expense of their smaller counterparts.

"My fear is that it will disproportionately advantage the larger, better connected arts organisations and companies," Mr Corfield said. "Looking at the youth theatre sector, which is nationally the smallest and least funded of arts organisations, it's going to be very difficult to get traction in that sort of funding environment."

Mr Dreyfus predicted the changes were the latest bid by the Abbott Government to "grab direct control over the arts", and predicted they would lead to job losses in the cultural sector.

"This is a Government that says it supports freedom of expression but will only fund those who agree with them," Mr Dreyfus said.

"... Senator Brandis is now intent on building a grand new private arts fiefdom to dole out money according to his own personal whims and wishes.

"It creates a whole new parallel funding process without any published criteria or peer review."

Sydney Dance Company executive director Anne Dunn said the industry was keenly awaiting more detail on how the changes would affect the sector.

"This represents a significant shift in arts funding mechanisms and all members of the industry are keen to gain an understanding of how these changes will impact the sector," Ms Dunn said.

"We do however welcome the maintenance of funding for the majors and the significant employment and artistic outcomes they provide.

"We also welcome the Government's continued focus on artistic excellence and look forward to more detail in the near future."

'Engaged minister a good thing'

Not all arts leaders were slamming the government in the aftermath of their budget announcement.

Opera Australia CEO Craig Hassall, who heads the largest arts organisation in the country, which receives the most government funding, said describing the changes as a 'land-grab' was a "cheap shot".

"Speaking [for] Opera Australia, my first thought is that I am relieved and delighted that major performing arts companies' funding hasn't been cut," Mr Hassall said. "I don't really have a view on where the money comes from, as long as the government is spending money on the arts."

Mr Hassall said it was also too early to cry foul about the National Programme, because "we don't know yet where the funding is going to end up".

"I always ask, what is the funding ultimately for? The funding is ultimately for audiences. Wherever the funding goes, audiences should benefit. If audiences benefit then I'm happy."

He added that Brandis, whom Hassall recalls seeing at the Regional Arts Summits in Kalgoorlie, was an engaged Arts Minister. "An engaged minister is a positive thing – it's ultimately a good thing for everyone in the arts."

National Association for the Visual Arts executive director Tamara Winikoff described the changes as 'alarming'.

"While we're relieved that there haven't been overall cuts to arts funding, the problem is that this change demonstrates that the minister is going to take much greater control of direct decision-making in relations to the arts," Ms Winikoff said."

"It's alarming that the minister would move to replace an arm's-length body set up to remove political influence for arts funding decisions. Instead he is taking that decision-making under his own control.

"There is an indication in the media release that this is a direct investment into the populist program – not controversial, things like touring and festivals. The concern is that experimental artists and emerging artists, those who are developing their craft, will be the ones who suffer. ​

"Things like touring and festivals. It's indicative of a conservative attitude to arts and culture, relegating it to the realm of entertainment rather than seeing it as a social enterprise which has the capacity to challenge orthodoxies.

"There's no getting around the fact that the minister is taking much more control. He may invest in things that we think are really laudable, we do need to wait and see. It's the principle that's important. If the decisions are being made by the minister rather than the industry peers, you can see the precedent of the arts becoming a political football."

Corfield is withholding his full verdict on the budget decision until Senator Brandis makes clear what the definition of "excellence" will be.

"If excellence is perceived to be work that takes place in flagship venues with significant sets and lighting design and elaborate costumes, then it's going to be highly problematic for the small to medium sector," Mr Corfield said. "If there's another definition of excellence that still falls outside the Australia Council's definition, then it would be good to know what that is."

The Australia Council has also been stripped of responsibility for Visions of Australia, Festivals Australia and the Major Festivals Initiative, which will be taken over by the Arts Ministry (they were administered by the minister's office before being shifted to the Australia Council's remit under Labour).

Tuesday's announcements follow more than $100 million in cuts to the sector by the Abbott Government in last year's budget, which included a $28 million reduction in funding to the Australia Council over four years, $33.8 million taken from arts programs run by the Attorney-General's department and $25.1 million from Screen Australia.

The bulk of the Gillard government's Creative Australia policy, which was released in 2013 and added $200 million to the arts, was scrapped by the Abbott Government in the 2014-15 budget.

Senator Brandis has shown little love for the Australia Council board in its current form. Speaking after the appointment of the current board by former Labour Arts Minister Tony Burke in 2013, the then shadow arts spokesman described its makeup as a "bitter disappointment" to arts lovers living outside Melbourne and Sydney, in particular taking aim at appointees including filmmaker Khoa Do and writer and broadcaster Waleed Aly (also a Fairfax Media columnist).

Senator Brandis said in a 2013 media release that while some of the new board members were "undoubtedly distinguished leaders", others, such as Mr Aly and Mr Do, had "far from obvious" credentials in the arts.

"The board seems to have been tailor-made to cater to the tastes and prejudices of a narrow group of people from the two largest capital cities, rather than representing the breadth and variety of Australia's art forms, arts practitioners and audiences," he said at the time.

On Wednesday Mr Dreyfus said he would wait with baited breath for the announcement from the Arts Minister of the appointment of new members to the Australia Council board in June, when the six-year terms of several current members expire.